I only recently learned of the Gemini XI mission and their use of the Agena Target Vehicle, I was previously unaware that experimentation with creating artificial gravity in space had taken place all the way back in 1966.
The mission involved 2 vehicles, the Gemini XI capsule and the Agena target vehicle you see attached to the tether in the above picture, the launch took place on September 12th 1966 and the return took place on the 15th of September.
The Agena was used to experiment with docking (in preparation for the Apollo missions), they also attached a tether between the 2 spacecraft and applied thrust to create spin. This spinning motion created a small amount of artificial gravity, a global first, and the mission set the stage for the docking systems used right the way up to Apollo 16.
Ben Branch has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, the official Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
The Huckberry DIY Survival Tin is packed full of survival essentials and designed to be a small, lightweight addition to your backpack, pocket, or glovebox that might just save your life. Each kit includes a steel storage tin wrapped in 10 ft of red paracord with a braided fishing line and a jute firestarter in…
This is the DeLorean documentary by Pennebaker Hegedus Films, it’s a full-length film about the DeLorean Motor Corporation, the DMC-12, John DeLorean, and the trials and tribulations that the company confronted before the launch of their iconic car. Filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker are icons of the direct cinema approach to filmmaking, they typically…
Tim Caraco has made a name for himself in recent years by capturing the zeitgeist of the 21st century chopper/bobber scene in America, Australia, and Europe. The hardcover book is 148 pages long and it includes a huge array of bespoke photography as well as the work of world class builders like Max Schaaf, Chase…
The White’s Boots x Iron & Resin MP Service Boot is a collaboration between the two uniquely American companies to produce a boot that has the potential to last decades rather than just years. White’s Boots White’s Boots has been in business since 1853, making industrial-grade footwear for the loggers of West Virginia back before…
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The Kawasaki Ninja 650R isn’t a motorcycle that you’d necessarily think of as a post-apocalyptic machine, but the team at Droog Moto took a look under the fairing and realized they could make something of it – something a little less 9-to-5 and a little more get-out-alive. Droog Moto is a highly-regarded custom motorcycle garage…
